Residents of Nurpur town, who faced severe disruptions in piped water supply for nearly 15 days during last year’s monsoon, are likely to find relief this season. The Jal Shakti Department (JSD) has initiated major repair and strengthening works on the town’s main drinking water supply system.
The department is replacing damaged sections of the main rising and gravity pipelines of the Chakki Lift Water Supply (LWS) Scheme, the primary source of drinking water for Nurpur. A Rs 1.25 crore work tender has been awarded for the project, which includes replacing damaged infrastructure and shifting vulnerable pipeline stretches from landslide-prone areas to safer locations. Work is currently progressing on a war footing.
For several years, residents have experienced recurring water supply interruptions during the monsoon. However, the situation turned critical last August and September when torrential rains triggered massive landslides along the pipeline route. The landslides repeatedly damaged the network between Chakki and Nurpur, crippling the scheme for more than six weeks and forcing the department to spend substantial funds on repeated emergency repairs.
The prolonged water crisis sparked widespread resentment among residents, who accused the department of failing to take preventive measures. The situation took a tragic turn when Arjun, a 24-year-old resident of Ward No. 3, was electrocuted and died while arranging water from a private tanker during the disruption. The incident triggered intense public outrage, leading to protests against departmental officials.
According to Deepak Garg, Chief Engineer of the JSD (Dharamsala), the project is being funded jointly under the Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) programme and the maintenance budget of the urban water supply scheme. He stated that the department was replacing 2,496 metres of gravity pipeline with 200-mm diameter pipes, and 460 metres of the main rising pipeline with 250-mm diameter pipes. Garg acknowledged that damaged sections along the roughly 7.5-km stretch from Chakki to Nurpur had long been causing frequent supply interruptions.
Sanjay Thakur, Superintending Engineer of the JSD’s Nurpur Circle, noted that while the aging Chakki LWS scheme requires long-term augmentation, the immediate focus is mitigation. “Our priority is to strengthen and sustain the existing system by replacing damaged pipelines and relocating vulnerable stretches away from landslide-prone terrain,” Thakur said. He added that the department aims to complete the ongoing work by July 15, ahead of the peak monsoon season, to ensure an uninterrupted water supply.
